Designations of origin
As the leading olive oil producing country, Spain protects its oil types and currently has 31 protected designations of origin, and many others are in the process of being recognised. The DO label defines the origin of the oils and the varieties used. It guarantees the production and transformation of the product in its geographic areas.
DO Aceite Campo de Calatrava
The producing area of this designation is located in the central part of the province of Ciudad Real, covering the municipal areas of Aldea del Rey, Almagro, Argamasilla de Calatrava and Ciudad Real, among others. This designation protects virgin olive oil obtained from the varieties Cornicabra and Picual.
DO Aceite Campo de Montiel
This producing area includes 26 municipal areas of the province of Ciudad Real, including the historic region of Campo de Montiel. This olive oil is produced using varieties of Cornicabra, Picual, Manzanilla and Arbequina.
DO Aceite de Baix Ebre-Montsià
This producing area is located in the Baix Ebre and Montsià regions, from the province of Tarragona, in the south of Catalonia, near the provinces of Castellon and Teruel. The olive oil produced depends on when and where the harvest takes place, from a greenish colour and bitter taste to a more sweet flavour, clean and transparent appearance, and pale strawish yellow in colour. The varieties are Morruda, Sevillenca y Farga.
DO Aceite de L´Emporda
This producing area includes the municipal areas of L'Alt Empordà and El Baix Empordà, and some municipalities from El Gironès and El Pla de l'Estany, in the province of Girona, northern side of Catalonia. This designation protects extra virgin olive oil from the varieties Argudell, Curivell, Llei de Cadaqués and the more traditional Arbequina.
DO Aceite de la Alcarria
The producing area of the designation “Aceite de la Alcarria” includes 95 municipalities of the province of Guadalajara and 42 from the province of Cuenca. Green lemon in colour, it is fruity and aromatic, sometimes with a peppery flavour.
DO Aceite de la Comunitat Valenciana
This designation of origin protects olive oils produced in the region of Valencia, since 2008. Due to its mild Mediterranean climate, olive oil has been produced in Valencia since Roman times, with several millenarian olive trees, mainly in the province of Castellon.
DO Aceite de La Rioja
Olive oils produced in the Autonomous Region of La Rioja are greenish in colour, with an almondy and slightly peppery flavour, fruity from an earlier harvest. It comes from the next varieties: Redondilla, Arbequina, Empeltre, Machona, Negral, Royal, Hojiblanca and Arroniz.
DO Aceite de Lucena
This producing area is located south of the province of Córdoba, including the next municipalities: Aguilar de la Frontera, Benamejí, Encinas Reales, Iznájar, Lucena, Montilla, Moriles, Monturque, Puente Genil and Rute. It protecs oils made from the variety Hojiblanca Lucentina and others like Arbequina, Picual, Lechín, Tempranilla, Ocal, Campanil y Chorruo.
DO Aceite de Navarra
Only extra virgin olive oil made from olives picked from trees belonging to the Arróniz, Empeltre and Arbequina varieties are sold with this designation of origin. Organoleptically speaking, Navarra PDO olive oil is well balanced, mild to medium in terms of intensity, but not sweet, with medium-to-strong fruitiness, green notes, and a distinctive bitterness and spiciness.
DO Aceite de Terra Alta
The area of production comprises the Terra Alta area and a number of municipalities in the Ribera d'Ebre, both areas being situated in the south-eastern part of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. The result is a delicate and highly aromatic oil, balanced, of clean and transparent appearance, pale yellow in colour. Satisfying fruity taste at the beginning of the olive oil year, it becomes slightly sweeter as the year progresses, with a flavour somewhat reminiscent of almonds and unripe walnuts.
DO Aceite del Bajo Aragon
The designation of origin “Aceite del Bajo Aragón” is located in the north west of Teruel and the south west of the province of Zaragoza. Of all the varieties protected by the Regulatory Council, at least 80% of Empeltre is used in the processing of protected oils and Arbequina and Royal can in no case be in excess of 20%.
DO Aceite Monterrubio
The production area of this designation of origin comprises the land located in the municipalities of La Serena, La Siberia and Campiña Sur, in the province of Badajoz. The oils protected by the designation of origin Monterrubio come from the varieties Mollar, Corniche, Pico-limón, Morilla, Cornicabra, Cornezuelo and Picual.
DO Aceite Sierra de Moncayo
The regions covered by this designation are Tarazona, Moncayo and Campo de Borja, in the western part of the province of Zaragoza. The two main varieties are Empeltre and Arbequina, but also Negral, Verdial and Royal. The oils are in general very balanced and harmonious, slightly bitter or pungent.
DO Antequera
The production area of this designation of origin comprises several municipalities of the province of Malaga. These oils present a range of fruity aromas of green olives, other ripe fruits, almonds, banana and fresh grass. The degree of bitterness and spiciness also varies from light to medium, perfectly complementing the slightly sweet tastes. Although there are several varieties like Marteño, Arbequina, Lechín of Sevilla, Picudo, Gordal of Archidona and Verdial of Vélez-Málaga, the most importat is Hojiblanca.
DO Baena
The producing area of this designation is in the south-east of the province of Cordoba, covering the municipal areas of Baena, Luque, Doña Mencía, Nueva Carteya and Zuheros, which are located in olive growing regions called Nevadillo-Campiña and Penibética. It protects extra virgin olive oils produced from the varieties Picudo or Carrasqueño of Cordoba, Lechin, Chorrúo or Jardúo, Hojiblanca and Picual. Its oils are fruity, with floral aromas, a little peppery or bitter and have a balance of exceptional flavours.
DO Estepa
The oil region of Estepa, with 40 thousand olive tree hectares, is one of the most relevant, as it is strategically located in the middle of Andalusia, between the provinces of Seville and Cordoba. The most common varieties are Hojiblanca, Arbequina, Manzanilla, Picual and Lechín of Sevilla. As a result of their early harvesting these olives have a fruitiness reminiscent of olives between green and ripe, with the characteristic of the green olive predominating.
DO Gata-Hurdes
The region covered by this designation comprises the mountainous regions of Gredos, Béjar, Peña de Francia and Gata. It is a greenish-yellow colour, very stable with a fruity and aromatic flavour, slightly bitter and spicy.
DO Les Garrigues
This designation protects the varieties Arbequina and Verdiell. The producing area is located in the south of the province of Lerida, and includes the region of Les Garrigues and other municipalities bordering on the regions of La Segarra and Meridional. The olives are picked by hand, and two kinds of oils are produced, depending on when the harvest takes place: fruity (from an earlier harvest, greenish in colour, more "body" with an almondy and bitter flavour) and sweet (from a later harvest, yellow, more "fluid" and with a sweet flavour).
DO Montes de Granada
The most important varieties of this producing region are Picual o Marteña, Lucio, Loaime, Negrillo of Iznalloz, Escarabajuelo, Gordal of Granada and Hojiblanca. Its flavour is reminiscent of green or ripe recently pressed olives, slightly bitter and full-bodied, with a a bitter aftertaste.
DO Montoro-Adamuz
The producing area comprises the next municipalities in the province of Cordoba: Montoro, Adamuz, Espiel, Hornachuelos, Obejo, Villaharta, Villanueva del Rey y Villaviciosa de Córdoba. Its virgin olive oil is obtained from the olive varieties that exist in the region: Picual, Nevadillo Negro, Lechín of Sevilla, Picudo and Carrasqueño de la Sierra. The Picual and the native Nevadillo Negro are considered the main varieties. This combination represents 98% of the DO olive oil production. The high content of polyphenols gives the oil its characteristic bitter and peppery flavour as well as excellent stability against oxidation.
DO Montes de Toledo
This producing area is located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, in the region of Castile-La Mancha. More specifically, its 103 towns spread from the southwestern areas in the province of Toledo to the northwestern areas from Ciudad Real. This designation protects extra virgin olive oil from the variety Cornicabra, a very stable oil due to its high content of polyphenols. From an organoleptic point of view, these oils present a dense feeling in mouth. They are fruity and aromatic, slightly bitter and pungent, with a very well-balanced flavour in its optimal point of ripeness.
DO Poniente de Granada
The oil produced under the Poniente de Granada designation is multi-varietal, presenting the aromas and flavour of fresh or ripe fruit, depending on the harvesting period. It can be slightly bitter and spicy, or sweet. Its colour ranges from greenish yellow to golden yellow, depending on the harvesting period and the location in the district.
DO Priego de Córdoba
This designation protects extra virgin olive oil obtained from the varieties Picual, Picudo and Hojiblanca of a natural region located in the south-east of the province of Cordoba, bordering on the provinces of Jaen and Granada. It includes the municipal areas of Almedinilla, Carcabuey, Fuente Tójar and Priego de Córdoba.
DO Sierra de Cádiz
The most important varieties of the designation Sierra de Cadiz are Lechín of Seville, Manzanilla, Verdial of Huévar, Verdial of Cádiz, Hojiblanca, Picual, Alameña of Montilla and Arbequina. The oils have the medium to intense fruity aroma of the green or ripe olive, well balanced and full of nuances.
DO Sierra de Cazorla
The production area is located in the south-east of the province of Jaen in Andalusia. It covers extra virgin olive oils made from Picual variety which is characteristic of this region. These are yellowish green, with an intense fruitiness and fresh fruit flavour (apple, almond, fig), with a slight bitterness and piquancy.
DO Sierra de Segura
This region is located in the north-east of the province of Jaen. The following municipal areas are all included in the producing area: Beas de Segura, Benatae, Chiclana de Segura, Génave, Hornos de Segura, Orcera, La Puerta de Segura, Puente Génave, Segura de la Sierra, Santiago-Pontones, Siles, Torres de Albánchez and Villarrodrigo. This Andalusian designation protects virgin olive oil obtained from the varieties Picual, Verdala, Royal and Manzanillo of Jaen. The olives are picked by hand, and the oils have surprising aromas and are sometimes slightly peppery.
DO Sierra Magina
This region is in the heart of the Nature Reserve with the same name, in the southern area of the province of Jaen. It includes the municipal areas of Albánchez de Ubeda, Bedmar-Garcíez, Solera, Jimena, Jódar, Larva, Mancha Real, Pegalajar and Torres. This designation protects the varieties Picual and Manzanillo of Jaen. Its oils are very stable, very fruity and slightly bitter. Their colour varies from intense green to golden yellow depending on the harvest time and their geographic location in the region.
DO Siurana
It protects oils obtained from the varieties Arbequina, Royal and Morrut. The producing area is a strip of the province of Tarragona, perpendicular to the Mediterranean Sea which, starting from Les Garrigues of Lerida, crosses part of the regions of El Priorato, El Bajo Campo, El Alto Campo, El Tarragonés and La Ribera del Ebro from north-west to south-east. The olives are picked by hand, and as in Les Garrigues, its oils are fruity or sweet depending on the harvest time.
DO Oli de Mallorca
The production area is located on the island of Mallorca. This designation of origin protects the extra virgin olive oils made from the Majorcan, Empeltre, Arbequina and Picual varieties, by physical procedures that guarantee that the oil preserves the aroma, flavor and characteristics of the fruit from which it comes. The Mallorcan olive gives the oil smoothness, sweetness and the flavor of ripe almonds; the arbequina variety gives the oil a green fruit flavor, while the picual provides the attributes of spiciness and bitterness.
PGI Oli d’Eivissa
The production area includes the entire island of Eivissa (Ibiza). They are made with the arbequina, picual, koroneiki varieties, either alone or in combination, which together represent at least 90%. The remaining 10% may come from other varieties registered in the register of commercial varieties. They are green fruity oils, of medium or intense intensity. In the mouth they present a level of bitterness and spiciness between light and medium.
PGI Aceite de Jaén
The geographical area covers the entire province of Jaén. It will necessarily come from the picual variety, as the main variety, combined with the autochthonous varieties Manzanilla de Jaén, Royal de Cazorla and Carrasqueño de Alcaudete, and non-autochthonous Hojiblanca, Arbequina and Picudo, as secondary variables. They are oils with aromas of clean, healthy and fresh olives, harvested before December 31, where the bitter and spicy attributes are marked.IGP Aceite de Jaén.
